Factbox on the five-Test Ashes series between England and Australia
The Most Valuable Player Index table is telling another (worrying?) story: Performance from players in teams that are not going to make the top four is dropping somewhat alarmingly. The IPL is gruelling and cruel. It can do wonders to your career, but can also seriously hurt your international prospects if you get injured in a match that is essentially inconsequential. Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index after Game 63.
New Zealand Cricket has indicated that it may not block its players from fully participating in the upcoming IPL if the knock-out phase matches of the lucrative league clash with the Test series opener in England beginning on June 2.
Former champions Kolkata Knight Riders will look to strike a perfect balance under the astute leadership of Eoin Morgan when they open their IPL campaign against a consistent Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Sunday.
Smith was forced to skip Tuesday's training session but Paine said he thought his predecessor as captain would be ready to go
However, he didn't rule out that some players might have harboured thoughts about Clarke's assumption that they "sucked up to" Indian skipper Virat Kohli in fear of losing out on IPL pay-checks.
Chappell questioned why Smith is eligible to captain Australia again while David Warner has a lifetime leadership ban. He said Smith's "crime" in the ball-tampering scandal was greater than that of Warner, his deputy at that time.
Steve Smith is back in the Test squad along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, the other two players hit with long bans for their involvement in the Cape Town scandal in March, 2018.
Ajinkya Rahane's India have a mountain to climb, even if a draw would be enough to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy two years after their breakthrough 2-1 win in the 2018/19 series in Australia.
Australia's Marnus Labuschange struck another half century to pile on the runs and the misery over New Zealand on Day 3 of the day-night Test in Perth on Saturday. Earlier, Starc picked a five-wicket haul.
After back-to-back series victories over Pakistan and New Zealand, Australian captain Tim Paine has fired a warning to Virat Kohli's India, who they will face in a series next year.
Enduring a forgettable outing in the first half of this year's IPL, two-time former champions Kolkata Knight Riders would look for reversal of fortunes when they resume their campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second phase of T20 league in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Matthew Wade said he would be happy to remain at the top of Australia's order for the rest of the series
Pat Cummins said the Adelaide wicket had played a part in the humbling of India in the first test and the Australia paceman is hoping for another good track when the teams meet again in the second Test in Melbourne on December 26.
Cameron Green is made for Test cricket and will make his debut in the pink ball match against India, Australia captain Tim Paine announced
With the return of Smith and Warner, and the presence of the solid Labuschagne, the Australian captain reckons 'we'll be a different kettle of fish'.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the Wimbledon Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Friday.
A round-up of the action in the English Premier League on Monday.
Cricket can be a game of fine lines but England fans were irked that Moeen Ali was judged on the wrong side of a bulging one when the all-rounder was stumped on day four of the series-opening Ashes test on Sunday.
The skies were clear of the bushfire smoke that has shrouded the city on several occasions over the last few months and has organisers prepared for delays during the match.
Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff and Tim Puetz pulled off a shock 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 7-5 win over Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez to give Germany a 2-1 lead in their Davis Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
New South Wales paceman Abbott and Queensland veteran Neser are the reserve quicks behind regulars Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson.
Cricket Australia is open to the idea of shifting the Boxing Day Test to Perth, where the situation is under control.
James Sutherland said Darren Lehmann has not resigned and will continue to coach the Australia men's team
Bandon Mein Tha Dum is about a team that hits rock-bottom, loses key players, has its global reputation shrink overnight, but despite all the setbacks, pulls off one of the greatest comeback victories in the history of international cricket, applauds Shailesh Karkera.
'Right now I think Finchy (Aaron Finch) is doing a great job, Painey is doing a great job. So, that gives Pat Cummins the opportunity to learn and watch and sit back and see how he feels about that role and experience a few different things'
Australia offie Nathan Lyon reckons the Indian captain 'will be able to adapt to any climate that we are able to play in'.
Australia have left masterblaster batsman Glenn Maxwell out of their squad for the five-match one-day international series against England that follows this week's fifth Ashes Test.
Embattled Cricket Australia (CA) Chairman David Peever is set to step down in the wake of a review into the board's governance and culture, local media reported on Thursday.
Earl Eddings was named the new permanent chairman of Cricket Australia (CA) by the board, on Wednesday, four weeks after taking up the post on a temporary basis when David Peever was forced to resign.
Top order batsman Usman Khawaja has been omitted from Australia's annual list of 20 elite, contracted players in 2020 after falling out of favour with selectors midway through last year's Ashes. The 33-year-old lefthander has not played for the Test side since being dropped after the third match against England in Leeds last August.
Earllier, Smith and Warner were reportedly banned for one year, ruling them out of the home series against India, while Cameron Bancroft was handed a nine-month suspension as Cricket Australia came down heavily on the errant trio which disgraced itself in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
'Last night we talked quite heavily about the day, more because we thought it was a really disappointing day and we just wanted to get our point across'
CCTV footage from the players' tunnel at Kingsmead showed Australia vice-captain David Warner and South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock involved in a fiery exchange as players climbed the stairwell to their dressing rooms during the tea break.
Four-time champions and title contenders India stormed into the Super League quarter-finals of the Under-19 World Cup after thrashing minnows Ireland by a whopping 174 runs in a league game.
Australians can expect a backlash from the top ranked Test side in the world, according to former captain Ricky Ponting.
IMAGES from the Day-Night Test, the first played between New Zealand and England at Auckland on Thursday
On the back of some great all-round performance, Australia thumped New Zealand by 247 runs to win the Boxing Day Test and take a 2-0 series lead. Images from Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test played at the MCG on Sunday.
'It'll test us out, no doubt, against a good Indian outfit .... They beat us out here last time and they're a very good side'
Young all-rounder Cameron Green scored a confident century for Australia 'A' on day two of the tour match against India 'A' in Sydney on Monday to put his hand up for selection in the Test series starting next week.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances